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BARIPADA: Shortage of radiographers in Mayurbhanj District Headquarters Hospital (DHH) at Baripada, which is being upgraded into a medical college and hospital (MCH), has affected the healthcare services. Out of sanctioned strength of 33 radiographer posts, only four radiographers are managing the show at the Regional Diagnostic Centre (RDC) of the hospital.

Patients wait in front of the Regional Diagnostic Centre at the hospital | Express

The RDC at Pandit Raghunath Murmu Government MCH provides radiography services like CT and MRI scans, X-ray and ultrasound which are necessary in the diagnosis of health problems through image production. After the hospital was declared to be upgraded into an MCH, patients from the neighbouring States such as West Bengal, Bihar and Jharkhand are visiting the DHH. This apart, people from Mayurbhanj and Keonjhar districts also depend on it. While nearly 300 patients visit the RDC for different medical tests daily, a radiologist and three radiographers are running the centre.

Sources said while a radiologist has been posted for ultrasound work, three others have been engaged to maintain records as dark room assistant to develop negative and X-ray operator. On the other hand, the recently approved 29 radiographer posts are yet to be filled up.

While the patient burden on the RDC is increasing day by day, the existing four officials are not able to provide radiography services on time. The burden, however, has doubled after the Central Government announced to provide ultrasound facility for pregnant women at Government hospitals free of cost. Though the MCH has already installed an ultrasound machine in Gynaecology and Obstetrics department to reduce the flow of patients at RDC, the facility is hardly used. A similar situation is also prevailing at X-ray department, said a patient Sanotsh Mallik.
Meanwhile, Collector Surendra Kumar Meena, who visited the hospital on July 12, asked the authorities to fill up the vacancies immediately.